Indian Cybersecurity Ecosystem on High Alert Following Operation Sindoor

India's cybersecurity infrastructure has been placed on high alert in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, the military operation launched on May 7 targeting terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

The strikes were a response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives.

Following the operation, the Computer Emergency Response Team of India (CERT-In) has issued advisories to critical sectors, including banking, power, and telecommunications, warning of potential Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks.

Just a day before the operation, several Indian defence websites, including those of the Military Engineering Services and the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, were hacked by a Pakistan-backed group, according to The Hindu Business Line.

Citing Indian Army sources, the report stated that the hackers may have accessed sensitive data during the breach.

In response, the Indian Army has implemented “appropriate and necessary measures” to bolster its cybersecurity infrastructure and prevent further intrusions.

Banks in India have also strengthened their cybersecurity infrastructure, anticipating potential retaliatory cyber threats.

In response to the heightened risk, several banks have implemented enhanced monitoring protocols, updated firewall protections, and increased surveillance of critical digital systems to safeguard against possible cyberattacks.

Additionally, security measures have been ramped up at branches located near border regions, where the threat of physical or digital countermeasures is considered higher.

India’s top stock exchanges, the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and BSE, have restricted access to their websites for users overseas amid rising cyberattack threats, particularly from Pakistan.

According to a Reuters report citing sources familiar with the matter, the move is a precautionary step to safeguard critical financial infrastructure from potential external cyber threats.

A BSE spokesperson told Reuters that as a Market Infrastructure Institution (MII), the exchange actively monitors both domestic and international cyber risks. "Based on such monitoring of cyber traffic, websites or specific locations are blocked as a precautionary and protective measure to secure users and systems," the spokesperson added.

Moreover, government agencies, including the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, have intensified monitoring of social media platforms for misinformation related to the strikes.

Platforms have been instructed to block unlawful content to prevent the spread of false narratives.

Telecom operators, in coordination with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), are evaluating measures to bolster security infrastructure, particularly in border and sensitive regions.